Take Dolly's advice for gifting this year

What's the first thing that comes to mind when I mention Dolly Parton?

Comment

By Ken Hall

recordonline.com

By Ken Hall

Posted Dec. 6, 2012 at 2:00 AM

By Ken Hall

Posted Dec. 6, 2012 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

What's the first thing that comes to mind when I mention Dolly Parton?

OK, here's something else to think about.

The award-winning actress and singer has never forgotten what it was like to grow up in a large family in a one-room cabin in the hills of East Tennessee, where her parents struggled just to keep food on the table. She knows how important it is for children to have the kinds of dreams that helped her become a successful entertainer, so a few years ago she came up with her contribution — the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Starting in 1996 in the community where she was born, the library provided a free book every month to children who signed up. That first distribution of a few dozen books has multiplied as the idea has spread to more than 1,600 communities in the United States and Great Britain. With support from her organization and lots of local donations, it has put 40 million books in the hands of youngsters. That number grows by 70,000 every month.

At this time of year, when parents and grandparents are wandering the aisles and websites and wondering what would make a good present, they might consider Dolly's advice about where those childhood dreams come from:

"The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world."

If she seems like an unlikely champion of literacy, she has good and unlikely company. Last month, author and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey showed up in Nashville to help promote the Imagination Library effort.

Dickey, who won the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the National League last season, is adapting his memoir as a young adult book and has two more books planned for children.

In his lengthy off-season — remember, he played for the Mets — he has been talking more about reading than pitching, about the books he and his wife read to their children and all that can do for youngsters.

The Imagination Library is not alone in this quest. Many schools have long worked with Reading is Fundamental and similar programs to distribute books to students. Libraries are always looking for ways to reach out to parents and others. The Newburgh Free Library, for example, recently opened an annex at the Newburgh Mall to help expand its audience. Families from the English as a Second Language program at the K.L. Rutherford School in Monticello recently went on a field trip to the E.B. Crawford Public Library to learn about its programs, especially the ones run by Literacy Volunteers. The most important thing they did was sign up for library cards.

With children off from school, the holidays are a great time to read aloud. Let's get started:

"'Twas the night before Christmas ..."

If you know the rest, keep going. If not, go to the bookstore or library to find out how that story ends and share it.